Automatic line finder



April 7, 1931. c. b. HEVENOR AUTOMATIC LINE FINDER Filed Sept 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l awue/wbom Gnome/11o April 7, 1931- c. D. HEVENOR AUTOMATIC LINE FINDER Filed Sept. 12. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/G-Z.

grvuvrvllom abtowup CHARLES 0 Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES CHARLES I). HEVENOR, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK AUTOMATIC LINE rmnnn Application filed September 12, 1929. Serial No. 392,143.

Figure 1 shows my line-finder in perspec tive; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Figure 3; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views taken through the rack bar; Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a portion oithe rack bar and parts that coo1'ierate with it; Figure 7 is a perspective view showing one end of the carriage and attendant parts; Figure 8 is a perspective view show- 20 ing the dial and parts associated therewith. Thenumeral 1 marks a support in the form of a box-like casing open. at the back, The support 1 may be laid down flat on a desk, or it may be stood up at an angle, as 25 in Figure 1', andthcn the support is sustained by a prop 2' adapted to be swung within the support when not in use, and pivoted at 3 to the support. A clip 4 holds on the support l'the manuscript 5 which is h) be copied. Thereis a s1ot6 in the side of the support, and fixed longitudinal tracks 7 are secured inside the support. A carriage 8 slides on the tracks 7 andhas rectangular parts 9 and 90! forming, respec- "tively, shoulders lOand 10a. A threaded tip 11 projects from the shoulder 10a, and awing nut 15 is mounted on the tip. The part .9 slides in the slot 6, and the part 9a, slides for adjustment in the slot 14 0'1 a 40 bracket 12 to which is hingedat 17 to the index "16.. The bracket l2 can be adjusted in and out to make the indexflfi lie flat on the manuscript 5, and after the desired ad- ,justment has been attained, the bracket 12 can be bound between the shoulder 10 and the wing nut 15. An escapement lever 18 is pivoted at 19 to the carriage 8 and is provided at one end with a fork 20 and at the opposite end with a pawl 21. The fork 2O straddles and engages a rack bar 22. The

rack bar22 and select the rack 24 that she lever 18 is so hung at 19 that, without using a spring, the fork 20 will engage the rack bar 22, and pawl 21 being spaced from the rack bar. The rack bar22 has racks 2 1, the teeth of which are of different lengths. In order to bring any desired rack up for cooperation with the escapcment lever 18, the rack bar 22 has shafts 23journaled in the ends of the support 1. On one of the shafts 23 is an W index 26 adapted to bear frictionally against a dial 25 on the support 1. The index and the dial serve two purposes. First, they enable the operator to rotate the c wishes to use; and second, because the index 26 has frictional engagement with the dial 25, these parts cooperate to prevent the rack bar 22 from turning accidently on its axis, the selected rack 24. being kept in place to cooperate with the lever 18. A shaft 27 is jourualed at 28 in the ends of the support 1 i and is of oblong cross-section. The shaft 27 cooperates with one arm of the fork 20 M of the escapemeut lever 18, as shown in w Figures 4 and, 5. The shaft 27 may be rotated in any desired way, for instance by an operating member or bar 29 located outside the support 1 and secured to a plunger 30 mounted for right line sliding movement 86 in the support 1, an expansion spring 31 being interposed between the bar 29 and the support 1. Outward movement of the plunger 30 under the action of the spring 31 is prevented by an abutment 32011 the plunger 30, the abutment being adapted to engage the inner surface of the front of the support 1. The inner end 01 the plunger 30 0 is pivoted at 33 to the shaft 27 in offset relation to the axis of rotation of the shaft.

A fixed shaft 34 is secured in the support 1, and a tubular shaft 35 turns on the shaft 34. Drums 36 are secured to the shaft35. and torsion springs 37 connects the drums 36 with the fixed shaft 34. Flexible elements 38 are wound about the drums 36 and connected to the carriage 8. A brake member 39 is secured to one of the tracks 7 A brake member 40 slides on the shaft 35 and is under the control of a governor mechanism 41 on the shaft 35.

CT. I

swing the index 16 on the hinge 17 clear of the manuscript5, and the manuscript 5 can tance under conditions now to be described,

The operator pushes on and releases the operating member 29, the plunger rocks the shaft 27, the shaft 27- tilts the escape lever 18, the escape lever cooperating with the selected one of theracks 24 to permit the flexible elements8 8 to pulldown the carriage 8 and the index 16 step by step, asthe flexible elements are wound on the drums 86 by the action of the. springs 37. The operator, thus, can keep any desired line on the manuscript 5 in place adjacent, the in-:

dex 16, until that linelhas been copied. By rotating the bar 22, different racks 24 may be brought into cooperation with the escapebe released from the clip .4.

When the step by step movement hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figure 6,-

is resorted to, the governor mechanism 41 is of limited utility. It is of primary impor- Referring to Figure 8, it will be obvious that the rack .bar 22'may be rotated until the I index 26 is between the characters on the dial 25. Then, one of the smooth,- longitudinal surfaces of the rack bar will be presented to the parts 21'2 0 of the escapement vlever, and the escapement lever (18) will not function, the carriage 8 movinguninterrupt-. edly along the tracks 7,-but for the actionof the governor 41.. Clearly, when the shaft 35 begins to turn too fast, thereby. causing the carri'ageS andthe index 16 to move down the page faster than the typistcan transcribe conveniently, the governor 41 will get in its work-and'hold back theindex 16 to a speed down the printed page that is commensurate'with the operators ability to transcribe on a typewriterfro1n the' copy supplied.

I claim K 1'. In a device oftheclass described, a support, a member rotable on the support and having differently constructed racks, an index, means for mounting-the index for movement 7 along the support, means' for moving the index along the-support, an escapement mechanism movable. with the index and cooperating with any of the racks to constrain the index I to a step-by-step movement, means for rotating said member to bring a selected rack into operativerelation to the eseapement mechanlsm, and

the control of an operator for actuating the escapement mechanism.

3'. In a device of the class described, a support having a rack with a plain longitudinal surface, anindex, means for mounting the index for movement along the support, mechanism for moving the index along the support, an escapement movable with the index and'cooperating with the rack to constrain the index to a step-by-step movement, means under the control of an operator for actuating the escapement, means for mounting the rack movably to bring the said plain longitudinal surface into engagement with the escapement, whereby the index can mo ve'freely, independently of the rack and the escapement, and a governor connected to said mechanism andcontr'olling the -index when it moves'freely as aforesaid.

4. In a device of the class described, a support, a member rotatable on the support and having differently constructed racks, an index, means for mounting the index for movement along the support, an escapement mechanism movable with the'in'dex and cooperating with. any of the'racks' to constrain the index to a step-by-step movement, means for rotating said member to bring a selected rack into operative relation, to. the escapement mechanism, and means under the control of an operator. for actuating the escapement mechanism; 7 v i In a device of the class described, a support having a rack with a plain longitudinal surface, an index, means formoune ing the index forv movement along thersup-s port, an escapement movable with the. index and co-operatingwith the rack; to constrain the index to a step-by-step movement, means under the controlof an, operator for actuating the escapement, means forv mounting the rack movably to bringsaid plain longi-, tudinal surface into engagement with'the escapement, whereby the index can move freely, independently of the rack and the escapement, and mechanism for controlling the index when it moves freelyas aforesaid.

In testimony that I claim the. foregoing as myiown, I have hereto affixed, my signature.

CHARLES D HEVENQR.

means under the control ofan operator for actuating the escapement mechanism.

2. In a device ofv the class described, a

support having a rack, an index, means for I mounting th'e index -for movement along the 

